Follow our beginner’s guide to building muscle without visiting the gym
The NHS advises that if you want to stay fit and healthy into old age, it’s not enough just to do cardio – you need to flex those muscles, too.
You can strengthen your muscles by lifting weights, using your own body weight or working with other forms of resistance, such as bands.
The government now recommends adults do strengthening exercises twice a week along with at least 70 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, such as running, or 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. Research also found that increasing your muscle power could even prolong your life.*
“We lose muscle and bone density from age 30,” says fitness expert . “But we can counter that with strength training.”
She explains that building muscles can help prevent osteoporosis, as stressing bones through exercise can increase density, and diabetes, as building muscles helps your body regulate blood sugar better. She adds that it can also prevent obesity, as “the more muscle we have, the more calories we burn”.
Julia recommends supplementing aerobic exercise (such as jogging) with other exercise such as yoga to keep flexible, plus the all-important strength and resistance training (workouts such as swimming can give you all three). “Don’t worry about getting huge muscles – that’s a misconception,” she says. The obvious way to gain strength is by weight training in a gym or with a trainer, but you can still strengthen your muscles safely, effectively and cheaply at home.
EXPRESS-UP YOURSELF
Julia suggests press-ups to build core and upper body strength. Start in a plank position and – keeping the back flat, with the elbows going out behind you, not out to the side – bend down to the floor then push back up again.
“Most women can’t do a full press-up with straight legs,” she says. “It’s fine if you want to keep your knees on the mat to start with.”
This spreads your weight more, making the push-up easier. The best way to progress with strengthening exercises is to push yourself to the “point of failure”, where your body starts to wobble and you physically can’t do any more.
“If you can only do one full press-up before that happens, don’t worry. Just do it again the next day, and once you can do one, try to do two and so on.” Try to work up to a set of 10 full press-ups a few times a week, which could take you a few days to a few months to achieve.
“Cardio is about going for a long time, but strength is about doing a lower number of reps with max resistance. If you’re able to do it for ages, you’re not doing it right,” says Julia.
CLAIM YOUR SQUATTER’S RIGHTS
A simple way to build up strength is to use a resistance band (£6.99, Sports Direct) and Julia suggests using a band when squatting.
“Keep your feet a bit more than hip-width apart, with your knees aligned with your feet. Keep your back straight, and sit the hips back as though you were on a low chair.”
To add in the band, place it under both feet as you hold on to either end. If it’s a loop band, have it under your feet and also around your shoulders, so that you’re adding in more resistance to the upper body.
“Squats work the glutes, hamstrings and core,” says Julia.
“You should be doing sets of 10-15 reps. Try to do three sets of 10-15 twice a week. If you can’t, start lower and build up. If you can do more than 15 reps in one go, you need more resistance.”
To add more, hold a weight while you squat. If you don’t have one, Julia suggests a heavy object, such as a bag of potatoes or a box of washing powder.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
A Swedish study undertaken over 35 years found people who started to exercise later in life had as low mortality rates as those who’d started earlier, so it’s never too late to get in shape.** Gardening is a great physical activity to take up at any age, so once you can see the green shoots of spring, head outdoors. Firas Iskandarani, a senior personal trainer at Gymbox, suggests digging or moving bags of compost.
“Gaining strength requires repetition, so garden chores such as raking leaves are great, too,” he says.
Firas suggests going green fingered for an hour twice a week for noticeable effects, while Julia advises keen gardeners make sure they don’t just work out one side of the body.
“People naturally tend to favour holding the spade in one hand, so make sure you switch sides,” she says. Multiple studies have also shown how beneficial gardening and being in nature is for our mental health.*** If you don’t have a garden, you can volunteer in a local community space. The RHS has a list of opportunities ().
HIT THE STAIRS
Rumour has it that Adele’s svelte new look is in part down to LA stair-based workout Rise Nation, but the NHS also includes stair-climbing in its list of recommended strengthening exercises. Walking up stairs helps improve leg strength, balance and coordination, plus it boosts cardiovascular health.
“If it’s just going up the stairs in your two-storey house, it probably won’t do a lot,” says Firas.
“But every time you go up stairs, try to climb two or three steps at a time at speed,” he suggests. “If you’re strong enough, you could do it while carrying shopping.”
WALK THIS (NORDIC) WAY
Nordic Walking involves stepping out briskly in nature, using a specific technique and specialist poles (which cost about £30). This means that the upper body gets just as much of a workout as the legs, and you get a strengthening session as well as the cardio activity you’d associate with walking.
“Swing your arms from your shoulders, keeping your elbows straight,” advises Firas. The hillier the terrain, the bigger the strengthening boost – so hit those inclines. “If you’re going uphill for an hour, it’s like walking up a staircase with a nicer view and fresh air,” says Firas.
“But it’s better, as it’s not as aggressive on your joints.”
For more of a challenge try rucking, which involves wearing a weighted vest (£17.99, Aldi) as you stroll. Find a group or instructor at .
SHAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT
Ever watched Strictly and fancied giving it a go? “
Dance classes that require fast movement, such as Latin, are great for strength-training because they require irregular movement that you don’t do in other gym classes,” says Firas.
MOST READ IN FABULOUS
“By moving in different planes of motion, you strengthen muscles you don’t even know you have, such as the quadratus lumborum muscles (your deepest abdominals). Plus, it’s a great cardio workout.” Check out to find a class near you.
You could even try a Zumba Toning class (), where you dance with maraca-style lightweight toning sticks for extra strengthening.
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